What are “Inferior” and “Superior” Planetary orbits?
Mercury and Venus are said to have inferior orbits due to their greater nearness to the Sun than Earth. The other planets which are farther from the Sun than Earth are said to have superior orbits.
What are transits of the inferior planets?
Sometimes, Mercury or Venus comes directly between the Earth and the Sun. they are, however, too small to cause an eclipse of the Sun but can be seen as black dots on the surface of the Sun when viewed through a dark glass. Such an event is called a transit.
What are conjunctions of the inferior planets?
When Mercury or Venus is in line with Sun and the Earth it is called a conjunction.
If the planet comes between the Sun and the Earth it is called an inferior conjunction. It is obvious that a transit coincides with an inferior conjunction.
On the other hand, if the Sun comes between a planet and the Earth it is called a superior conjunction. In a superior conjunction the planet is temporarily hidden by the Sun.
